After a 14-year absence, the Sardinia Cup - the historic regatta organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda which helped to establish the Club’s international reputation - will return to the sporting calendar in 2026. First launched in 1978 by then-Commodore Gianfranco Alberini, the event quickly became one of the most anticipated events on the global sailing scene, running for more than three decades. The biennial Sardinia Cup alternated with the Admiral's Cup, another premier regatta that returned to the Royal Ocean Racing Club's calendar in 2025 after a 22-year hiatus. 

“If the first Sardinia Cup was loved for the setting, the breeze and the colours of Sardinia, and by the second the British began to fear that it might outshine their glorious Admiral's Cup, this third edition has acquired all the characteristics of a major world-class event, with all its appeal.” enthused the specialist press at the time. The event quickly began carving out its own legacy, synonymous with excellence and fierce competition. Looking back at the archive photos, filled with familiar faces and iconic boats, the enthusiasm of those early years is evident. The images evoke the competitive spirit and passion for sailing, along with memorable victories for Vanina, Mandrake - owned by YCCS Member Giorgio Carriero - and Dida, to name but a few. 

From 31 May to 7 June next year, the Sardinia Cup will return with a format closely aligned to that of the Admiral's Cup. Teams of two boats will represent their respective yacht clubs, and by extension the nation those clubs call home. The programme will feature five days of racing: two dedicated to medium- to long-distance offshore races, plus three days of windward-leeward competitions.

"The Sardinia Cup is a fundamental part of our identity. We are very pleased to announce its return.” commented YCCS Commodore Andrea Recordati. “Restoring this regatta to the calendar is both a tribute to the Club's history and a decision that looks to the future with renewed enthusiasm. This is an event that shaped the course of Italian and international sailing, and we are confident that it will leave its mark once again, in one of the most beautiful racing venues in the world.”